This week I have the honor and privilege to ask a friend and co-worker of mine 20 Questions. I met Bob Basiewicz when I started at my current job. On day one, if I remember correctly, Bob gave a demo of an app architecture and seemed all cogent and knowledgeable. He was explaining design patterns and giving justifications for color patterns. Bob threw around jargon and industry terms effortlessly. He was on fire. First day on the job for me in a completely new career path and I am getting intimidated by this guy making his presentation in a field he is clearly completely comfortable within. I am a fish out of water hoping no one notices that I am clearly a fraud at my job, and here is this expert just throwing knowledge down.

Fast forward 2 months. Bob is an idiot with smouldering rage issues. I have been here now for about 2 years and he is one of my favorite people at work (one of many favorite people at work [this caveat is to keep Bob’s head from ballooning with pride and filling a room with his unbridled ego AND mollify the sting to other coworkers who are concerned that they are not in the “favorite people at work” category {you are all my favorites, each and everyone of you (yes, even you [the insecure one who thinks little of themselves]}]). I know some things about about him, but now I am going to learn more.

Here come the questions!

My previous career was in mapping, and one of the things I have always enjoyed is people’s geographic stories. For example… I was born in Oklahoma, moved to the 3rd world that is Alabama when I was 3. Went from Montgomery, Alabama, the seat of all “Alabamian Power” to Birmingham, Alabama, the economic engine or the downtrodden state. I lived just to the northeast of Birmingham in a small suburban town called Center Point from when I was a toddler until I graduated from high school. I went to school in Kent Ohio and moved to Columbus when I got married 20+ years ago. I have been in Central Ohio ever since. Question 1: What is your geographic story?

Answer 1: Hi. I’m Bob and despite what you may think, I do not hate you with the fire and rage of a thousand hells. I am from Detroit, MI which probably explains a lot of my rage and trust issues. (Only Scott thinks I have aforementioned “issues.”) Honestly, I’m from a city 35 min north of Detroit called Rochester Hills. I grew up in the ‘burbs and had a wonderful and delightful childhood. I attended college in Detroit proper. At age 28 I moved to Pittsburgh and hated it. After 10 months I left for Chicago where I loved (almost) every second of my 7+ years there. After reconnecting with a friend from Michigan, in 2015 I moved to Columbus, Ohio to marry her. It’s been the best decision of my life.

Ugh… “Look at me, I’m Bob and I love my wife.” Yuck. Keep that stuff to yourself, no one really wants to hear it.

Question 2: If you did not have job or family constraints, is there a place that you would want to move to?

Answer 2: Chicago. Not sure if you want me to profess my love for the city considering your disdain for me saying I love my wife.

Depends on if you are going to get all mushy about Chicago. Chicago is a great city. I haven’t been there too often, but it was a fun city when I was able to be there.

Speaking of wives, yesterday was my wife's birthday. The world is a better place since is on it. I know what you readers are thinking... "Why is it that Bob is not able to say nice things about his with, but Bloggy Bloggy Scott Scott can wax eloquently about the goodness of his wife? That is a double standard. You suck, Bloggy Scott." Number 1: Bloggy Scott? Where the Hell did that come from? Number 2: It was her birthday yesterday and she is awesome. Number 3: it is my blog, you want equality? get your own blog.

Question 3: Cake or Pie? Which specific kind and why?

Answer 3: Pie, specifically apple pie. A la mode is cool but I’m not into Wisconsin-style cheddar cheese-laden apple pie, though. No disrespect to cake lovers*, but you guys are the worst and you need to settle down. Buncha wide-eyed spatula-lickers. Even you 50 cent. Get outta here with that, “I love you like a fat kid love cake.” Relax, it’s just cake. Hell, even weddings are abandoning the prestigious ceremonial symbolism of a single cake and refining with cupcakes and cupcake pyramids. I guess it beats a plastic-y play-doh flavored fondant slathered freshly baked slice of air. Instead, you have 100-200 individual, mini, cream cheese icing-topped, strawberry-mango-passionfruit flavored, paper-wrapped, bite-sized garbage. No thank you, cake-eaters. Gimme my all-American, freshly baked, warm, apple pie.

I have said it before, and I will say it again (much to the detriment to my most loyal of readers. Hi, all five of you!). People who love pie would really like to eat some pie if it is available. People who like cake would kick a kitten in the rain to get a slice of cake. There is a level of for the cake eaters that is somewhat insatiable. It can be alarming. Your portrayal of this cupcake obsession is interesting as well. I would venture even further to say that the actual cake is less important these days than the frosting. Gourmet cupcake boutiques now will mound six inches of icing on top of a 2 inch high cupcake. The ratios are all off.

So, a few years ago, we were at this New Year’s Eve party and one of Little Man’s friends could not stop himself from eating these honey bbq meatballs. He had something like 20 of the things. It was honestly amazing to watch. It was very clear that he just could not help himself around those. If they were there, they were going in his belly.

Question 4: is there any other food that you cannot help yourself around? If that foodstuff is present, you just haves to has it?

Answer 4: I love food in general, and I’ll eat almost anything, except for that weird shit on shows like Fear Factor and the like. I think doughnuts* are my weakness although I don’t really think I have a food kryptonite. For example, I can eat just one Lays potato chip. I love the hell out of orange juice, but can almost never drink it as I’m a diabetic. That being said, if you had a pitcher of OJ out, I wouldn’t “have to has it!!!” like a deranged person.

*I like plain ol’ glazed donuts. Boring, perhaps? But yes, I just took the “ugh” outta donut.

Oh, donuts… how I miss thee. I used to be able to destroy donuts, and they were actually my kryptonite. I really had a hard time not eating them if they were around. Like a serious problem not eating them. But then I stopped eating the gluten and that made me super sad.

Question 5: When did you get the diabetes diagnosis? Is this something that was realized later in life or was it diagnosed when you were a child so you did not know what you were missing sugarwise?

Answer 5: I found out when I was 18. I landed in the ER, and later, ICU. It wasn’t awesome. There are a lot of misconceptions about diabetics and a lot of people misunderstand the problems, complications, and stress it can have on a person. It’s too much to get into here, so I’ll reserve my feelings on this one.

One of my roomates in the college time had the diabetes as well. He broke his hand playing the hockeys in college, and broke it badly enough that he had pins in it and sticking out. He broke it so bad that I had to occasionally inject some insulin in him into his shoulder opposite of his broken hand, and all the time I would need to draw up his insulin. He rotated his shots, thigh, thigh, belly, belly, shoulder, and shoulder. So once out of every six injections I had to poke him. My knowledge of diabetes is limited, to making my roommate wince.

Question 6: Is there something you want people to know about concerning diabetes?

Answer 6: Nah, I’ll keep my opinions to myself on this one. Glad you could stab a friend in need though. IMHO, the syringes rarely hurt. It’s the blood sugar test that hurts. It all has to do with nerve endings. Lots more in your fingertips than in the rest of the injection sites.

John was a bit of a wuss, so that might explain some of the wincing. I also made sure to tell him, “This will hurt you waaay more than it hurts me” and smile broadly right before jabbing him. Who knows why he winced, really.

Question 7: What is something that invariably makes you wince? For me it is spiders. The mere thought can make me hunch my shoulders.

Answer 7: I can’t really think of any which is not to say I don’t have any. Perhaps I just can’t think of mine at this moment. If we’re getting introspective, I’d say fear of failure (or maybe lack of success). It’s a major cause of stress, which attributes to and compounds other stresses. It’s not as simple as seeing a thing that might cause me slightly annoying pain, but it’s there. Not to say that you are simple, Scott. ;)

Oh… I am simple. Let no one try to fool you. I am the simplest of the simples. I wish there was something complex going on inside of me, but nope. Nada.

Question 8: You can tell from your name, Basiewicz, that you are of Mexican heritage. Are you bilingual?

(I do not speak any other languages but I wish I had learned them as a child. Basiewicz is obviously not Mexican, but it comes from the Polish side of my family. Until I actually learn how to speak Spanish, I will continue to have help from Google Translate. I took four years of German in high school, but I only remember random words like squirrel and straight.)*

*From the Google Translate

Google translate is an amazing thing. I don’t use it nearly enough, mainly because I do not interact with other languages nearly enough.

I knew from previous conversations that we had in the actual world, or meatspace (as the cyber folk like to call it), that you are of a Mexican heritage with a Polish surname. I am surprised by the four years of German. Who takes four years of German and cannot say “It lies in the ditch.” (Es liegt im Straßengraben) Oddly that was a phrase in a German phrase book that I used in when traveling through Germany in 1992.

Question 9: Where is the farthest you have traveled from Home?

Answer 9: Well, I’m not a hobbit leaving the Shire for the first time but I’m pretty well traveled, I think. I was fortunate as a child that my parents took me on two 2 week trips out west for vacation. I’ve been to 42 states and eleven countries in the Americas and Europe. The furthest place I’ve been to has to be Berlin, Germany. I’ve been as far north as Muskoka, Canada and as far south as Mexico City, Mexico. I’ve only been as far west as Los Angeles. My coverage of the world is pretty vast, however, I’m not sure this is a relevant measure of how far away I’ve been mentally.

It is almost a prerequisite for people I am interested in asking 20 Questions to have traveled fairly extensively. Mainly because the people I find interesting have been places and done things beyond just growing up in their hometown. Some of them might still live in their hometown, but that is clearly a conscious decision because they have been elsewhere.

Question 10: Fill in the blanks: I find that I am mostly __________. Others find that I am mostly __________.

Answer 10: Wow, so it’s at question 10 that we get into the deep stuff! Hmmmm... I find that I am mostly really happy! I don’t have a lot to complain about, but do feel the typical range of small and large emotions throughout time. (I don’t feel anger/sadness/grief/bewilderment/elation/etc. daily, but maybe I do throughout a given year, if that makes sense.

Others find that I am mostly angry. This angers me. (Kidding.) I’m not really angry, I am just really cynical and opinionated. I think I’m also very stubborn which is not to say I’m not willing to compromise or listen to others feelings. I’m a “fixer” and hate seeing people hurting or upset. Seeing people hurting emotionally makes me upset and I think I’m being read incorrectly. I’m not angry, but more frustrated that they are not happy. This is where I struggle. My cynicism stems, I think, from my family (genetics) and upbringing (social development).

There are a lot of hotheads in my family who I think have unintentionally instilled a specific mindset within me through my upbringing. Perhaps I have been jaded and learned to judge others with a severe questioning of their motives. Being so closely tied to, and hyper aware of, my emotions is awesome because I can really know myself and discover things about myself. I feel in-tune a lot. However, it’s also a detriment to know too much or place judgement on others and overthink their intentions.

I think socially I have related to people who share this thought process or logic. For example, one of my best friends in Chicago was a major influence on who I am, who I aspired to be like, and challenged me to be a better person. He’s funny but dry, has great values, and is a mentor to me. He’s a great dad and husband and I really look up to him. He’s also the single biggest cynic on this planet. He’s a walking opinion firmly based in logic and he’s mostly right. He’s a calm dude with a long fuse but short temper. Whether I like it or not, by being inspired by him, I’ve become like him. I never aspired to be cynical and opinionated, but perhaps we become those we surround ourselves with.

tl;dr, I guess I could’ve summed this up with “Happy” and “Angry.”

Right-o, Happy and Angry it is. Cynicism can be a double edged sword. I am well aware that due to my own cynical nature, so I can definitely dig the self reflection of happy while outwardly seeming angry.

Sweet mother of mercy. I just used the verb “dig” to mean understand. I think this might be the lowest I have ever sunk on this blog. I would at least have gotten nerd cred if I used “grok.” Alas, no, I used “dig” like I was an extra in a 70’s movie set in southern California. Ugh…

You have your finger on the pulse of popular culture...

Question 11: Is there an out-of-favor pop-term, colloquialism, slang that you wished could make a come-back?

Answer 11: I don’t think anything I used to say as a kid was cool then or would be cool now. Plus, I’d sound like the old parent trying to say the cool thing that all the kids are saying. I’m not fire. I keep it 100.

However, there is one I’d like to kill off. Can we please do away with the “up hill both ways to school” lame-ass joke. It’s never been funny or true and it just sounds like a desperate attempt by an elder to tell youth how rough life was for them back in the day. I just wanna be like, “Yeah, that must have sucked… but not as much as BEING FUCKING SHOT AT IN CLASS!!! Our kids have a new set of problems so sorry about your shitty hill experience. Now that you have adequately toned calves, maybe you can help the next gen not die.” (This might be why people say I’m angry all the time.)

Rant over. >sheepishly steps off soapbox<

I try not to think of the active shooter drills that my kids have at their schools. It is truly frightening. Terrifying. So if it is culturally terrifying, does that make the threat of high capacity semi-automatic fire terrorism? That’s a rhetorical question and not Question 12. You will know when Question 12 comes around because it will be labeled clearly as Question 12. Question 12 tends to be deceptively simple, so hang on to your hat when it is asked.

Question 12: Are you happy? (in general)

Answer 12: Absolutely. I try not to take for granted any of the rewards or benefits I have in life. I also am not quick to forget them. I don’t really gamble. I think because I take pride in earning what I have and see value in the things I have worked hard for. Losing something I’ve worked so hard for severely negatively impacts my disposition. So yeah, I’m definitely happy. I have a lot of great family and friends.

I have asked this question a bunch and only rarely do I get a no as an answer. I think that when people slow down and really look at it, they are mostly happy.

Question 13: Do you have any superstitions or rituals in your day-to-day life (ritual can be as simple as "nobody talk Bob prior to Bob have coffee")?

Answer 13: I don’t really have any hard-and-fast rituals that I must do. I believe, as people, we do have routines we fall into, either by choice or habit, because our brains are wired that way. According to David Brooks, in a book entitled The Social Animal, he refers to two characters (Harold and Erica) to define our behaviors and relationships. He describes how morning rituals like showering, teeth brushing and the like become automatic in order to make room for us to focus our brains on other more taxing mental tasks. Have you ever forgotten your entire drive to work? So, yeah, I guess I do have routines throughout the day, but nothing out of the ordinary.

In terms of superstitions, I’m not exactly a baseball player with their weird walk-up routine, glove adjustments, swing cadence, bat taps, shoe-scuffs, and helmet fixes. I mean, I don’t not have any either. I don’t go around walking under ladders, not because I’m superstitious, but because nothing good can really happen if you do. I’m not really a big believer of broken mirrors/bad luck, crossing a black cat’s path, and stepping on a crack will break your mom’s back. I mean, my mom is just fine, thank you.

Are you certain she is not, in fact, currently suffering from a broken back? An indiscernible, yet slight break? It manifests as a dull ache, but in truth it is a 14% hairline fracture of the L3. I have seen you and your cement crack stepping ways. Crack Stepper.

“Crack Stepper” sounds like a much worse epithet than it would be intended in this case.

Question 14: If you could eat dinner with anyone who ever lived in the world… Anyone ever. Historical figure, departed family member, scientist, artist, whatever, what would you eat? I mean, THAT is some anxiety inducing menu prep.

Answer 14: Usually, when someone phrases the question with being able to eat with anyone ever, but finishes with, “what would you eat?” and not “who would they be?” that may throw one through a proverbial loop. But nay, not I! Instinctually I go immediately to a nice pasta, perhaps a cream sauce or jumbo shrimp scampi (heavy on lemon, butter, garlic and capers) paired with a delicious white wine. But, I quickly think twice about it. Maybe it’s too carb heavy and we’d be ready for a nap post-haste.

Ahh, chicken. Prepared light, a well-seasoned half chicken grilled in a cast iron skillet along with carrots, zucchini, and onion. Crispy skin with a generous sprinkle of thyme and oregano, maybe paired with roasted skin-on baby redskin potatoes and a light sauce made from the stock and chicken oils from the skillet. Again, a white wine to match; Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

After more thought and taking special consideration into who I will be dining with, I decide against the chicken. I’m drawn to Wings, fish (like salmon filets, roughy, snapper) but I’m finally decided. I’m going with a Smoked Pork Butt. “Butt!?!?” you say! Yeah, butt. And, not just some meat with bbq sauce squirted on sheepishly like some cheap, generic, gray, State Fair meat.

Despite it not actually being a butt, I’m a big fan of smoked foods and bbq. I’d have it slow cooked in a smoker, depending on the size for 10-16 hours, fat side up until it has that nice caramel-glazed glistening crust to it. Brined first in a cider vinegar bath, a mix of brown sugar, ground mustard, cayenne and smoked Spanish paprika (among others) are forked into a combination of olive oil, honey and ketchup (and more secret ingredients) until deliciously combined into a thick paste. Spread thin over the shoulder roast, the meat would rest in a smoker until almost falling off the bone. The fat and meat slightly splitting to reveal a sensual pink smoke ring inside. I like a hefty chop rather than a straight pull. A robust and rich, sweet with subtle fiery-noted barbecue sauce folded into the chop. Good enough to eat singularly, I’d have it served with a creamy sweet slaw on an onion bun, maybe topped with cheese if you like. Best served outside, with laughs, and a ice-cold lager or IPA, depending on preference.

Are you sure you are from Michigan? Because that final answer was from the Deep South of the US. I mean it is some Texas, Alabama, North Carolina shit right there. Less Texas because of the pork, and not so Carolina because of the sauce. Seriously in the Alabama, St Louis, and Tennessee area of BBQ… a sweet slightly spicy sauce with strong smoky undertones added after the fact to smoked pulled-pork. I think you may want to add some sides to accompany the cole slaw though.

Interestingly, one of my previous 20 Questions interviewees loves bar-b-que places because of the sides. He has been a vegetarian for years but cannot get enough deep fried onion rings or rice and creamy mac-n-cheese. He loves going to BBQ joints and trying all the sides that don’t have bacon in them.

I think one can tell a bunch about a person by their choice in food for a meal that they can have with anyone ever. For example, you start out much more formal and end up with more of a communal food that requires casual interaction. There is no sophistication when you have to lick bar-b-que sauce off your fingers to keep it from dripping on your pants as you eat a sandwich. Your fantasy dinner guest meal requires pointing and laughing over shared jokes and lack of adequate paper towels.

I think I need to find a way to eat with you more. That sounds absolutely delectable.

Dammit! I forgot the sides! I’ll settle for being ridiculed by my guest(s) for my lack of foresight into menu prep!

This one is coming out of left field… Question 15: If you were independently wealthy and did not have to work to make the monies, what would you do as your “work?”

Answer 15: If I had just a ridiculous amount of f-you money, I’d just travel to warm places and golf. I’d also take my wife to a lot of beaches, bc ya know, she’s into those. If I couldn’t find a beach, I’d put her in a sand trap and play her sounds of ocean waves, or something. Not exactly calming, especially when there is that whole potential of getting struck by a hard white rock-like thing every 8-10 minutes… Well, I’d probably do something much more romantic than beaching her on a man-made tiny desert with hazardous flying objects, but you get what I’m saying.

You are nothing if not a hopeless romantic.

I would love copious amounts of f-you money. I think I would create my own comic book imprint and get some of my comic peeps published. Every time that I think about how I would spend the 500 million dollars that I would win in the lottery (That I do not currently play) I open a comedy club and start a comic book imprint.

Question 16: Are there any questions you expected me to ask that I have not?

Answer 16: I’ve never been interviewed before and I’m not sure how they typically go, but I’ve never heard Anderson Cooper ask an interviewee, “what are you expecting me to ask you?” Maybe if he was asking a mob boss and feared for his life, he would ask that off camera and then proceed to ask those questions he was told to ask on camera. (That’s also not to criticize your interviewing skills. AC has been around a while…)

I don’t know where this is going. I guess my answer is “no.” TBH, I’m not sure what I was expecting with this whole thing, but it’s pretty fun.

Well, I ask the question because some people think there is a specific reason for me to be asking them questions. Usually people who are a little more in the public eye have expectations about what I will ask. The comedians I ask 20 questions to typically expect questions about comedy. The artists expect “Who are your biggest influences?” or something like that. Since you are in UX and have previously been in marketing advertising, you may have expected UX questions or favorite client questions or something like that. I’m not in your mind. I don’t know what you want or expect. I can’t read minds, Bob! I don’t even know why you would expect that of me.

Honestly, I am surprised you have not been interviewed before. I have a few of those under my belt and I haven’t done shit in my life.

Now for something completely different… Question 17: Who you got for the Stanley Cup this year?

Answer 17: As you know, I really like ice hockey. I played a bit as a kid and regret not playing more frequently. I love Nashville and the Vegas Golden Knights out of the west. Vegas and the Sharks both swept their first round so that should be a fun series. Nashville should be able to take Jets should they surpass Minnesota.

Tampa Bay is a #1 seed playing a wildcard Devils team so they’ll have a harder matchup against, hopefully, Boston who will most likely knock out Toronto. My brother-in-law plays for Boston so I’ll be rooting for him too. #shamelessnonnamedrop I think Boston upsets, advances past TBL, and plays the Jackets. I can’t stand Pittsburgh and they seem to dominate year after year. Hopefully they are knocked down a peg by a solid Blue jackets team. I want CBJ to beat the hell out of the stupid Pens, but sorry CBJ, I think the Pens have too much history and experience in the playoffs. Unfortunately the Pens advance.

West Conf Finals: Nashville vs Vegas. I think Vegas wins in 7.East Conf Finals: Shitsburgh vs Beantown. Shitsburgh in 6.Stanley Cup Final: Vegas vs Boston. Vegas wins in 5.But! I wish the Preds would wins so I could travel down to Nashville to celebrate with my family who are rooting hard for them to win. I also hope Boston wins so my extended Columbus family would be happy. It would be great to see the Blue Jackets win The Cup because they have such a strong team and they are perpetually considered and underdog. Plus, Bobrovsky. Vegas would make history, but I have no rooting interest there.

I used to be so knowledgeable about sports. At one time I could give a relatively informed opinion on most of the major sports in the US. That time has passed. It would take a couple of years to get back to being knowledgeable again. I might make the effort with hockey, but the NFL can go straight to Hell.

So now it is time when I turn the tables. It fears me to do this… but… Question 18: Do you have any questions for me?

Answer(?) 18: I wanna open your figurative closet door to meet the skeleton inside to let him dance in the light of day for everyone to see! What is your deepest, darkest secret? (Hey, you asked.)

You have taken too many pucks to the helmet if you think I am going to divulge my deepest darkest secrets on a blog.

I would say the most egregious thing is that I used to be a super conservative/Christian youth from Alabama with tendencies to be sexist, classist, and especially homophobic and racist. It was not until leaving Alabama for college that I started to move past that myopic view of my world. That being said, my foundations are from a conservative/Christian white household in Alabama, so I am still systemically sexist, classist, homophobic and racist. Significantly less so than I was 25 years ago (and even less so than I was yesterday), but I am constantly trying to be alert to past thought patterns and assumptions creeping into and poisoning my current mindset. One does not simply stop being unaware of their privilege and become “woke.” One has to strive every day to become more “woke.”

I like this. One cannot simply flip a switch to become a believer in the opposite ideals of what they were raised to believe. But, they should open their mind to many perspectives in order to gain understanding. Even if they do not agree with the opposing or just slightly differing viewpoint, they can still gain understanding. Being able to feel empathy and understanding for others is a critical social skill and digging heels in (IMO) hasn’t ever gotten anyone anywhere.

Question 19: What are you taking from these 20 Questions that you did not bring in with you?

Answer 19: I’ve find that this feels incredibly more revealing and intimate than simply sharing something via social media. Facebook, and the like, have a very “I’ll-reveal-what-I-wanna-reveal” aspect where this feels more voyeuristic. It feels like people I don’t know are getting to actually know me and yet I know nothing about them. I see why the likes of Jack Nicholson, Johnny Carson, and David Letterman are so recluse and almost never do interviews. Exposing potential vulnerabilities is a really strange feeling for people who aren’t used to it. Aaron Rodgers did an interview with Mina Kimes, a brilliant writer and article written for ESPN The Magazine, where Aaron is revealed to have recorded all of his interviews. He does so to fact check if/when he is quoted so that people cannot take him out of context, and –my assumption– to not misquote, or intentionally misuse his words against him.

Even in this interview, I second guess what I have said and I find it funny because I don’t at all find myself “interview” worthy. Regardless, I like the general banter despite it perhaps not coming across as friendly. I was intrigued at a few of the questions as they side-swiped the obvious and often banal yet went for the abstract. I’ve also learned a little about myself now looking back at some of my answers. I wouldn’t change them, but think that some are really revealing or telling about my character. I have reservations and keep some things close to the vest, but with others I’m an open book. I have piss poor hockey analysis, or at least confidence in my “hot takes.” I also have discovered that the fandom in myself fights hard with the actualities and probabilities of what will happen. “If I will it to happen, it will, right?!?! Right?!!?!?!?”

I’ll probably miss doing this. Immensely.

I’m completely insane.

Okay. Well then. That was a thorough answer to the question. You even added a quote with its own attribution. I always love how the 20 Questions always start out light and airy (cake v pie) and eventually reveal some real truths about both of us. I find myself revealing more than anticipated with my questions and my responses to people’s answers, and I am certain that the people I ask the questions reveal more than intended.

Here we are at the last of the 20. This has been a delight. I am very happy that I have gotten to know you better.

Thanks for doing this.

Question 20: What's next? Be as vague or as specific, as concrete or philosophical, and as near term or long term as you would like

Answer 20!: I don’t know what is next but I’m excited for it. Generally, I tend to be specific and sometimes I talk philosophically. Soon, I’ll eat a sandwich and maybe, die. (See what I did there?)

Ok, seriously, I don’t know what is next and yes, I truly am excited for it. I have goals and drive, but I keep that kinda stuff buttoned up a bit too. Sometimes, in life, people choose sides. I don’t often reveal plans without knowing who’s truly on my side. I can say that I will continue to kick ass and take names. Great things are going to happen and will keep happening. It’s cliché but, “I’m betting on myself and I’m all in.”

Bob is seriously a wonderful man who is a joy to talk to. You should check out his Instagram where he does not often post @dietbob218 or Twitter where he doesn't often tweet @dietbob218, but to see his design work you should check out his website www.getmebob.com. He is awesome.

To recap:So… that Avengers movie was somethingI am looking forward to Deadpool 2 as wellThe Marvel properties are killing in in the theatersThey have been for years nowI have theories on how phase 4 of the MCU is going to goOn a different subjectI am about 90% done with the book I am writingI had to gut the final fight scenes and the denouementThat’s a fun word… “denouement”Looks like the book is riding around 200 pagesI am writing all of this down to get the impetus to finish this thing and keep myself honestI need to be done with the draft and handed off to an editor on June 1That is my deadline now, June 1Once I get my edits back I will be asking my artsy friends to do some illustrations for meOnto another topicYesterday was my wife’s birthdayShe is amazing and I am lucky to know herThis weekend is Mother’s Day weekendShe is an awesome mother as wellI am luckyHave a great weekend everyone